Ethereal Topography

Artist: Robert Cvetkovski

Curated by Kirila Cvetkovska

Maxim Gorky describes the good qualities of our soul by stating that they are “most successfully and forcefully awakened by the power of art. Just as science is the intellect of the world, art is its soul.” In this way, Ethereal Topography explores a specific path to the temple of the soul and the altar of our existence, encompassing works made in the form of modern icons. The exhibition includes a mixture of paintings from the artist’s abundant opus, made in combination with natural materials (sawdust, seagrass, sand, natural pigments etc.) that generate a 3D illusion and evoke forms similar to bas-reliefs. Each painting is symbolically comprised of a single abstract gate (tothe artist’s intimate world) as well as signs of an arch or arcade that evoke the symbolism of historic culturalorigins and traditions. In addition to each painting, on the floor, there would be exhibited parts of the artist’s material private life (painting brush, boots, toothbrush etc.) that were present during the creation of the art works.Thus, the direct contrast between the materiality and the artist’s inner persona would be shown, at the same time investigating the artistic process of creating a particular art work.

In today’s world of distorted values where the worshiped god is social media, Ethereal Topography represents a return to our spiritual wealth, reflecting the artist’s role of a dissident, running away from the ubiquitous symptoms of capitalism and consumerism. As a response to this omnipresent condition, the project also includes an additional interactive installation – again containing parts of the artist’s material private life. The audience isinvited and ecouraged to bring a personal, intimate object that could be exchanged with one of the artist’s items, as ametaphor for a market exchange. Would this act satisfy the visitors’ need for taking a photo of a certain materialitem, ready to be posted on a specific social medium (facebook, instagram etc.), since the actual inner feelingprompted by the exhibition could not be photographed? The particular interaction is a direct intervention into the contemporary social mantra that if something is not shared publicly, seems as it never happened.This project intends to turn the gallery space into a creative laboratory, rather than only present a mere exhibition within closed walls.

Ethereal Topography is offered as a trigger of a deeper thought and as a replacement of the constant praise of artificial productivity imposed by the rapid rhythm of our everyday lives.